Santa Ana’s Cozy Zoo Is 50

Santa Ana Zoo turned 50 on Saturday, but its birthday party was aimed at those much younger.

There were clowns, ice cream cones, plumes of pink cotton candy and children leading their families through the zoo.

“I want to see the United States bald eagle,” said 3-year-old Connor Turnbow, his mother Donna and friend Brian Dazey in tow.

“I don’t think they have bald eagles, honey,” Donna Turnbow, 40, of Cypress, told her son.

But a few yards down a bamboo-lined alley, the raptor perched inside a small enclosure. Connor pointed. “He’s beautiful, isn’t he?” his mother exclaimed. A slow “yeah,” followed from Connor.

Turnbow and her son visit the zoo about once a month, she said. She may have missed the eagle in previous visits, but Connor hadn’t. The 20-acre zoo is in Prentice Park, near the Santa Ana Freeway--an oasis of fauna and flora in the middle of North Orange County’s urban sprawl.

The park’s animal exhibits are modest: a collection of rare rainforest monkeys and birds, an assortment of barnyard animals, lemurs, lamas and a pair of Asian elephants that can be ridden.

It’s the cozy atmosphere and accessibility that draw visitors, those attending Saturday said.

“It is a perfect zoo for kids,” said Betty Hamilton of Lakewood, visiting with her daughter and two grandchildren. “Their attention span is just about an hour. This is the perfect size.”

The zoo was founded on orange groves donated by Joseph Prentice.

He was fascinated by monkeys, and his only stipulation to the city was that the park always house at least 50 of them.

Now, black and white colobus, brown capuchins and tiny tamarins with their lion-like manes frolic in dozens of cages throughout the zoo.

The facility, which has struggled recently with accreditation problems, put on a festive face for an expected 3,000 visitors. They were treated to ice cream, and children put on dancing and singing shows.

The facility lost its accreditation from the American Zoo and Aquarium Assn. in September 2000 because of delayed maintenance and improvements, among other reasons. But the city has since spent $1.5 million to upgrade the facilities. Officials said they expect to regain accreditation soon.

Accreditation is not necessary to operate the zoo, but it can affect fund-raising and the ability to borrow animals from accredited zoos.

“We are really confident,” said Leslie Perovich, director of Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo, a nonprofit support group, as she greeted visitors Saturday. “This is still a great place.”